An American Tragedy is an intriguing‚ frighteningly realistic journey into the mind of a murderer. It is a biography of its era. And‚ it is also historical fiction. But what makes this novel a classic? While society has changed dramatically since 1925‚ Dreiser’s novel‚ which shows the futility of "The American Dream" and the tragedies that trying to live it can cause‚ accurately summarizes social mores of this and any time period. <br> <br>Before Theodore Dreiser was born‚ his father‚ a devout German
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the pursuit of happiness” (Jefferson)‚ is the root of The American Dream; however‚ James Truslow Adams‚ a historian and author‚ is often credited with the term “The American Dream” because of his book‚ The Epic of America. In this book he states: “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone‚ with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately‚ and
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The Reality of the American Dream By Saryah Robinson ________________________________________ Remember when you were a child and somebody asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Personally‚ I wanted to be a NASCAR racer. I know‚ a little far-fetched if you think about it. When we were children we were so optimistic. We hardly accepted failure. This was the time in our lives when we sincerely believed in ourselves. We believed in the American Dream because it was instilled in our minds
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The American Dream can be defined as a national ethos of the United States‚ a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success‚ and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. Willy Loman‚ the protagonist of the play Death of a Salesman‚ believes wholeheartedly in the idea that a ‘well liked’ and ‘personally attractive’ man in business will indubitably acquire the material comforts offered by modern American life. This however is a skewed perspective of
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America in hopes of achieving the “American Dream”. The American dream originated from a few common ideas: that every American citizen has the right to pursue happiness‚ and that everyone has the freedom to achieve social and economic success‚ through means of hard work and dedication. The American dream has served as a motive and incentive for those who strive to become successful and achieve their goals. All United States citizens have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream through means of
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The American Dream: Dead or Alive? “The American Dream says that anything can happen if you work hard enough at it and are persistent‚ and have some ability. The sky is the limit to what you can build‚ and what can happen to you and your family”‚ said Sanford Weill. The tradition of the American Dream has always been based on the way people live out their lives. Although‚ throughout these past years some believe that the American Dream has died off. Many blame themselves for their own failure
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said‚ “I have spent my life judging distance between American reality‚ and the American Dream.” Many people in this world differentiate the truth from one’s imagination. Some dream a little too high to create possibilities for themselves‚ and others don’t dream at all. Creating goals for oneself could never but easy‚ but it does take hard-work. This isn’t just any delusion though‚ it is called the American Dream. Within the American Dream‚ Americans should value their family and success in order to
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The American Dream The American Dream is a subject that has been heavily debated on for years by many different people; some say it exists‚ while others say that it is simply a myth. Regardless of those opinions‚ most Americans still feel that the Dream is alive‚ out there just waiting for them to reach. They are all willing to work equally as hard‚ they are all willing to just about whatever it takes and they are all as ambitious as the next. Every person is different‚ with different backgrounds
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The American dream is defined in many different ways by many different people. In The Great Gatsby‚ Gatsby has his heart set on Daisy to gain her love again but is soon ruined when he does not realize he can’t repeat the past. In another person’s viewpoint of the American dream is that they see the issues it can cause for the government such as "income inequality" (Merino). While some may say that it can cause government issues‚ the American dream is a reality to achieve whatever dream that the American
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“The American Dream is not a paradise but a nightmare.” By comparing A Streetcar Named Desire and The Great Gatsby to what extent do you agree with this statement? According to James Truslow Adams‚ who wrote ‘The Great Epic of America’‚ the American Dream is “not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely‚ but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain regardless of circumstances of birth or position”1. A Streetcar Named Desire and The Great Gatsby both
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